The Smart Community Podcast

Zoe Eather
  • 5.0 (8)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

"Making Smart Communities that are Accessible, Liveable and Sustainable for All"​ The Smart Community Podcast is a hub where Smart and exciting people from all around the world come to discuss all things Smart City, Smart Town, Smart Region - anything that makes a place more liveable. Together we can create the Smart Community Collective. Disclaimer: All content is representative of personal opinion only and is not associated with any company, organisation or government agency.

  1. Embedding Data Culture in Local Government, with Michael Whereat

    6D AGO

    Embedding Data Culture in Local Government, with Michael Whereat

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have an enlightening conversation with Michael Whereat. Michael is the Smart Cities Lead for Sunshine Coast Council, in Queensland, where he helps staff and people across the region access data and information to make informed decisions. In this episode Michael tells us about the problem statement methodology guiding all Smart Cities work at Sunshine Coast Council and evaluating projects through a rubric to deliver greatest organisational benefits.  We discuss the Kings Beach playground renewal that used vibration sensors and WiFi counts to understand usage patterns, and the democratisation and publication of the data dashboards.  We talk about edge processing for privacy protection, the data trailer with QR codes explaining data collection to community, and how technology reduces bias compared to staff counting. We finish our chat discussing curiosity and listening for gaps in data not just what you see, but what's not there that should be. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk Digital This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    57 min
  2. Communicating Research Outcomes in Smart Communities, with Professor Pascal Perez

    FEB 8

    Communicating Research Outcomes in Smart Communities, with Professor Pascal Perez

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a great conversation with Professor Pascal Perez. Pascal is the Director of the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN), a national research infrastructure facility funded by the Australian government that serves researchers across the country working on urban systems, infrastructure, and local communities. In this episode Pascal tells us about using story mapping tools to communicate research outcomes, mixing plain text, interactive maps, and traditional graphs. We discuss the Australian Urban Health Indicators project examining heat waves, including the challenge of creating better causation indicators while realising mobile location data is the missing piece.  We talk about the Map of the Month project bringing global community engagement approaches to Melbourne and digital tools for urban design. We finish our chat discussing the critical difference between data, information, and knowledge, and why the hard yards are really between information and knowledge. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk Digital This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    53 min
  3. Design Decisions and Collaboration in Data Visualisation, with Professor Alberto Cairo

    FEB 1

    Design Decisions and Collaboration in Data Visualisation, with Professor Alberto Cairo

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have an incredible conversation with Prof. Alberto Cairo. Alberto is the Knight Chair in Visual Journalism at the School of Communication of the University of Miami and Director of Visualization at the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing, plus author of several influential books including The Functional Art, The Truthful Art, How Charts Lie, and The Art of Insight. In this episode Alberto tells us about his work with the National Hurricane Center designing graphics to convey hurricane risks to Miami's diverse multilingual population. We discuss why visualisation design needs decision-making processes rather than rigid rules, and why those decisions should be subjective but never arbitrary. We talk about collaboration being essential since designers acknowledge they often know nothing about the data and must ask experts tons of questions. We finish our chat discussing the gap between expert designers and general public readers, encouraging everyone to just get started making graphics when they wish a story or spreadsheet was clearer. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk Digital This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    49 min
  4. Audience-First Storytelling in Smart Communities, with Paul Hodge

    JAN 26

    Audience-First Storytelling in Smart Communities, with Paul Hodge

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a brilliant discussion with Paul Hodge, also known as The Data Vis Guy. Paul is an independent consultant specialising in education and mentoring around data visualisation and storytelling, working with global organisations and state and federal government agencies. In this episode Paul tells us about the three core principles of his training: engaging and holding audience attention, delivering insights rather than just data, and bringing it all together through design thinking. We discuss the importance of defining specific audiences rather than being too general, including a detailed case study of a data asset portfolio that used a heat map to identify high-risk assets. We talk about Randy Olson's ABT structure (And, But, Therefore) as the simplest form of storytelling. We finish our chat discussing impactful visualisations like the 9/11 Memorial's algorithmically determined name placement and the Periscopic gun deaths visualisation showing lost years to society. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    57 min
  5. Embedding Technology and Quantifying Placemaking in Smart Communities, with Eshita Dutia

    JAN 18

    Embedding Technology and Quantifying Placemaking in Smart Communities, with Eshita Dutia

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a wonderful conversation with Eshita Dutia.  Eshita is the Principal Smart Places Officer at Cumberland City Council, bringing her background as an architect, planner, and urban designer to the smart city space with a focus on putting community first. In this episode Eshita tells us about actioning Cumberland's Smart Places Strategy and Action Plan, embedding smart technology into placemaking projects to collect data and show impact. We discuss the Guilford Laneway project as part of Transport for NSW's Safer Cities Her Way program, including how the team moved from ad hoc data collection to a streamlined Data for Places methodology.  We talk about combining qualitative feedback like perception of safety surveys with quantitative data including footfall, dwell time, and economic spend. We finish our chat discussing the power of simplified data and how small-scale interventions can have significant impact when documented through data storytelling. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk Digital This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    46 min
  6. Creative Approaches to Data Storytelling and Research Communication, with Dr. Jessamyn Fairfield


    12/07/2025

    Creative Approaches to Data Storytelling and Research Communication, with Dr. Jessamyn Fairfield


    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a great conversation with Dr. Jessamyn Fairfield. Jessamyn is a lecturer in natural sciences at the University of Galway in Ireland. Jessamyn’s work specialises in art-science collaboration with a focus on performing arts and thinking differently about how people can engage with science, technology, and research. In this episode Jessamyn tells us about Bright Club Ireland, a research comedy variety night where she trained 300+ academics to do standup about their research. We discuss We Built the City on Rock and Coal, an improvised climate change show touring rural Ireland, including how improv creates co-created experiences with audiences and removes perceived power dynamics. We talk about using dance theater to explore concepts like particle-wave duality and local ecologies. We finish our chat discussing the perception that changing data from graphs and equations is "dumbing it down" and the importance of listening to audiences to discover if your message is actually getting across. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Oh also a little heads up that we’ll be taking a few weeks break over the Christmas/New Year season but we will be back in January with more episodes in this PhD series of The Smart Community Podcast!  Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.

    59 min
  7. Making Complex Data into Consumable Storytelling, with Dr. Nathaniel Bavinton

    11/30/2025

    Making Complex Data into Consumable Storytelling, with Dr. Nathaniel Bavinton

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a great conversation with Dr. Nathaniel Bavinton, who you may remember from way back in Episode 183. Nathaniel is an urban sociologist and Associate Director at Urbis, working in their Smart and Sustainable Places team. In this episode Nathaniel tells us about data visualization as an essential tool for making complex information accessible and about COVID-era advocacy work combining data with local stories. We discuss the City Intelligence platform and designing for business communities, including lessons about simplifying map-based visualizations. We talk about creative applications of data through AR/VR experiences for Indigenous dual naming projects. We finish our chat discussing the collision of skillsets needed for effective data storytelling and the importance of thinking about narrative structure when working with data. As always, we hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    55 min
  8. Cybersecurity Visualisations and User-Centred Data Design, with Kuhu Gupta

    11/23/2025

    Cybersecurity Visualisations and User-Centred Data Design, with Kuhu Gupta

    Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a brilliant discussion with Kuhu Gupta. Kuhu is a data visualisation engineer at Illumio, working at the intersection of cybersecurity data, storytelling and design. In this episode Kuhu tells us about network flow visualisations and zero trust segmentation in cybersecurity. We discuss the difference between exploratory and explanatory visualisations, including how hybrid visualisations combine network diagrams with hierarchical structures. We talk about designing for diverse user personas and the importance of personalisation in data tools. We finish our chat discussing the lessons learned from choosing parallel coordinates over Sankey diagrams and the critical importance of talking to users early and often. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube Podcast Production by Perk Digital This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today. Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole. Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

    45 min
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"Making Smart Communities that are Accessible, Liveable and Sustainable for All"​ The Smart Community Podcast is a hub where Smart and exciting people from all around the world come to discuss all things Smart City, Smart Town, Smart Region - anything that makes a place more liveable. Together we can create the Smart Community Collective. Disclaimer: All content is representative of personal opinion only and is not associated with any company, organisation or government agency.

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